Islam versus Europe

A bookseller in Argenteuil (Val-d'Oise) filed a complaint on Thursday saying that he had been threatened by "jeunes" who objected to his displaying editions of Charlie Hebdo about Islam in his shop window, it has been learned from sources that match one another.

The bookseller, established in the Val-d'Argent estate, said he was threatened with reprisals by "jeunes" who claimed to be Muslims on Wednesday at 4 pm, when he was in his shop, specified a source close to the case, confirming information from Le Parisien.

"The jeunes demanded that he remove the edition from his kiosk, which he refused to do," indicated this source. "They intimidated him by striking the shop window, but no blows were struck".

The shopkeeper then contacted the police, who escorted him to the town's police station, where he filed a complaint. Police patrols were then set up to place the shop under surveillance, added the source close to the case.

According to the bookseller, the threats started because of a special edition of the weekly magazine titled "The life of Mohammed", placed in the shop window, said AFP. "Half a dozen 'jeunes' gathered in front of the shop, they said they were going to break my shop window," he reported. As a precaution, at first he removed the issue from his shop window, before changing his mind and putting the weekly issue back.

On its front page, dedicated to the shooting that occurred during demonstrations supporting former president Mohamed Morsi, in Egypt, the weekly magazine's headline was "The Koran, it's shit," adding, in a yellow box below, "it doesn't stop bullets".

"One of the 'jeunes' then tore the copy of Charlie from the shop window, tore it up on the pavement. He came back with two or three friends and told me 'filthy whore, we're going to do you in'," he recalled.

"I'm doing my job and I have no intention of changing," added the bookseller, who says he has received support from the Charlie Hebdo manager, Charb.

Source: 20minutes.ch

Argenteuil is where two burka-wearing Muslim women recently claimed to have been attack by skinheads, claims that have provoked a great deal of scepticism even among the usually sympathetic officialdom.